


My dearest friend...

by MissTantabis



Series: Tumblr Stories [12]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, Jamie Campbell Bower as Gellert Grindelwald, M/M, Oneshot, Sad/Comfort, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 04:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10654905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissTantabis/pseuds/MissTantabis
Summary: Albus gets an unexpected invitation from Gellert on Easter Monday.





	My dearest friend...

**Author's Note:**

> Gellert's german words are translated at the end of the chapter.

The four days over Easter were a relief for the Professors at Hogwarts. The students all had a break and could get home for a while. Their teachers in the meantime had four free days, where they did not have to correct any essays, unhex people who got stuck in the chairs and closetts and generally had more peace then usual.

Albus was in his office and slowly sealed away the latest essays some of the higher class students had written. It was Easter Monday. Normally people now went back to their families, but Albus did not want to. He did not feel very welcome in the small house in Godric’s Hollow, which even after such a long time breathed death through every corner of the room. Albus feared if he ever were to step back into this place, he would only be faced with Ariana’s ghost and his brother Aberforth’s angry glare.

So no, Albus prefered to stay in Hogwarts. Maybe he could persuade Minerva to share a basket of chocolate eggs with him. If not he would use the time to read a bit in the library. Maybe he found something interesting that he could teach the students. 

Thus Albus was taken by surprise when a familiar feeling rushed through his wrist. It was a warm prickle, a gentle tease. Like a ray of sunshine. Albus froze. He usually got this sensation in the most unwanted situations and whenever it happened, he ignored the symphtoms untill they passed away. Even though every ignorance felt like ash on his mouth.

This time however his curiousity got the better of him. Albus locked his room and doublechecked, before he carefully pushed up his long sleeve. On his left wrist like a marking of ink was a tatoo. A triangle, which was centered by a horizontal line and a circle around it. The symbol of the Deathly Hallows. Gellert Grindelwald’s symbol.

Albus always wore long sleeves to conceal this tatoo. It was an enchanted tatoo. If one touched it and thought about the other one, who bore the same tatoo, one could create a mental link, which allowed telepathic communication, shielded from everybody else. Albus and Gellert both had the same tatoo. They used to use this link whenever they could not visit each other.

Nowadays however Albus did not use the link. He knew that Gellert used it to reach out to him every now and then as if he wished to remind the redhaired man that he had not forgotten him. But Albus never dared to touch his tatoo back. He did not wish to open wounds he so desperately tried to turn into scars.

Now however Albus softly reached forwards and laid his fingers on the tatoo. Immediatley his mind opened and he could feel Gellert’s spirit engaging with his. The touch was so familiar it almost made him cry.

 _“Albus”_ , Gellert’s voice echoed through him as if he stood besides him, whispering the words into his ear, _“You finally replied.”_

 _“Greetings to you too, Gellert.”_ Albus nervously licked his lips. “ _Why are you calling me?”_

_“You must be lonely during the Easter Monday. I am lonely. I was wondering if you’d like to spend the day with me. For old time’s sake.”  
_

_“How can I tell this is not a trapp?”  
_

Albus heard the other one laugh, but it was a sad sound. _“Do you not trust me?”_ , asked Gellert.

The Professor sighed. _“I’m afraid, I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.”_

_“I promise I won’t bring any weapon. I won’t bring any company. And you may choose where we spent the day. Does this sound fair, Albus?”  
_

A short moment of hesitation. Then Albus slowly nodded. _“Yes.”_

* * *

Albus had picked a small house in Exeter. He was slowly walking down the street. It was an avenue with trees. Marples and oaks. Their leaves rustled in the winds, throwing shadows. Albus wore his long, winered cloak and had buried his hands in his pockets.

He halted at a narrow alleyway and turned his head. Looking at the shadows, he squinted his eyes. Years may have passed but Albus was familiar with the magic of his friend. “Gellert?”, he asked softly, “Is that you?”

There was a stirring move in the shadows. His former friend slowly stepped out of them. He was wearing a black leather cloak, the hood in his face and dark trousers. His arms had been crossed. He slowly stepped onto the street and stopped before Albus.

There Gellert pushed back his hood. He revealed himself not as the grim and mean looking older man with the spikey, pale ashblond hair and the moustache. No, he had the angellike, gracefull face, which Albus remembered so clearly and had fallen in love with. His golden locks might have partly paled and partly darkened a bit and the mismatched eyes, black and blue, had a certain senserity they had been lacking, but it was the man that Albus had shared secrets with, the man that had offered him adventure in a time long forgotten.

“I have been expecting you”, remarked Albus, “How are you?” Gellert sighed. He chewed on his lips. “Alright. I am getting along. Sometimes with more joy, sometimes with less. Being an outlaw is not easy. Sometimes I envy you, Professor.” He cocked his head, a short, bitter smile on his lips.

Albus smiled. “Being a Professor is nice”, he told him, “I enjoy teaching the students.” His eyes flickered over Gellert’s face. “I presume you used dark magic to achieve this. As you can see, I age naturally. I have nothing to hide.“

Gellert’s smile had a touch of fondness. “We both know you hide injuries just as painfull as mine”, the dark wizard responded, “You just age to make it seem like you have moved on. But deep down you battle the same demons I do. I should know for I know you.”

There was a humorous twinkle in Albus’ eyes, even though his voice was heavily laced with sadness. “Do you indeed?” He looked Gellert up and down, before smiling he remarked: “That was not what I stated. Though now come along. I have chosen a nice, little house for us.”

Albus turned around on his heels and walked down the street. Behind him Gellert shrugged with a smile before he slowly followed him. Both men disappeared in a nice, white building with small windows and green curtains.

* * *

The appartment Albus had picked was small but nicely equipped. There were two windows and the sun’s light fell through green curtains. A table and a few chairs of polished woods. But this was not what caught Gellert’s interest. He walked over to the tall, dark piano and gentley hit the keys once, twice.

Turning his head, the blonde wizard remarked with a shaken but happy look on his face: “You did that on purpose.” Albus lowered his head, blinked and smiled. “I had hoped you would like it”, he responded and approached the younger wizard, “Do you still play the piano?”

Gellert sat down before the keys. As his hands began to wander over it and the fingers elicted a beautifull melodie out of them, he responded: “A bit. Though nowadays I can no longer play as much as I used to. You probably know why.”

Albus nodded but he did not say anything. He somehow was glad that Gellert had manage to keep this hobby of his, despite the destructive path he had taken. The redhaired wizard stood there and watched him play. While he himself did not play any instrument, he deeply enjoyed hearing Gellert’s music.

His friend was beautifull when playing the piano. His lithe body leaned from one side to the next, his head was lowered and he seemed to play the song by heart. There hardly were any missteps in it. His fingers wandered over the keys, long, slender and leanky like horses that gallopped over hills.

The [melodie](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dy8a3ElpJJyU&t=MjVjODUyZDMwMjg4N2MwMmMxMzUwMzk5ZjM0YTliNTdkNzkzZjU0ZSxEa2xPZXBBTg%3D%3D&b=t%3AJp7Xwzckh5lEkJ1oS15CIA&p=https%3A%2F%2Ftolcveistodestrcy.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F159672644114%2Fmy-dearest-friend-slice-of&m=1) Gellert played was soft and gentle. It had a loving but also melancholic tone to it. There was a hopefull undertone in it, which seemed to get washed away every now and then. Albus sat there, before the piano and felt tears glimmer on his nose. How much he had missed the other one!

Gellert slowly finished his song. He looked up. “Are you crying?”, he asked gentley. Albus whipped over his nose. “A bit, maybe”, he admitted, “But it is alright.” It was not, but why should he admitt this out aloud? There was no way they could go back to where they once were. And Albus was sure Gellert knew that he had lied. The blonde wizard had always been good at reading him.

Gellert stood up. “I brought you something.” He searched through his cloak and produced a bag of chocolate eggs, some with almond paste. “Happy Easter, Albus.” Albus stared into the bag and his heart ached. He looked up and hastly shook his head. “I cannot take this, Gellert. I…I cannot eat chocolate with almond any longer. It reminds me too much of you.”

“Blödsinn, Albus”, remarked Gellert. He reached into the bagg and pulled out  a chocolate almond egg. Brushing it against his friend’s lips, he added: “Come on, take a bite. I bought these for you. It’d make me sad to take them home again.”

Albus hesitated. Then as if his own lips were protesting he carefully bite down into the almond egg. Gellert leaned forwards and with the chocolate treat between them, took a bite as well. Their lips graced each other and heat shot into Albus’ cheeks.

He coughed and swallowed his half of the egg in record time. “You did that on purpose!”, he wheezed. Brushing over his lips with the back of his hand, he tried to look scoldingly at Gellert. The blonde wizard had crossed his arms and a fond, amused smirk curled around his lips. “Of course I did.”

Albus looked back at the bag. He thought about throwing it away. His face was still as red as his hair. He looked like a radish with a really bad sunburn. He then returned his gaze to Gellert. A weak chuckle emitted from his face. 

It was impossible. Even though he knew of Grindelwald’s darker colours and attitude, he had also seen his kindness and gentleness. Albus wished he could regret falling in love with Gellert. He wished he could hate this man as much as others could. But he simply could not. He loved Gellert as much as he had loved him on the first day they met.

They sat there at the table and ate the bag of sweets. When both men stood in the corridor to leave, Albus pulled Gellert into a hugg, placing his head on the golden locks. “Thanks”, he whispered, “For keeping me company on Easter, Gellert. I’ve missed you so much.”

Gellert carefully pulled himself out of the embrace. He caressed Albus’ cheek. “I never stopped caring for you”, he admitted, “You know that, right, Albus?” The Professor nodded slowly. He watched Gellert take a few steps backwards and merge himself with the shadows. And even after he was gone, Albus just stood there and brushed his fingertips against the dark wall, lingering for a moment before he too headed back to Hogwarts.

* * *

The translation of Gellert's words.

“Blödsinn, Albus” = "Bullshit, Albus"


End file.
